Unclogging Drains: Instead of using harmful acids or toxic store bought cleaners for drains, use baking soda and vinegar. Pour a half cup of baking soda and a half cup of vinegar down the drain, cover for roughly ten minutes (for stubborn drains 30 minutes), and finish with a pot of boiling water.

Cleaning Mirrors and Other Glass Surfaces: Cleaning mirrors or windows can be a frustrating experience. Newspaper and paper towels can leave residue and its difficult to remove all watermarks and streaks. For a cheap and easy solution add a quarter cup of vinegar to a 32 ounce spray bottle filled with distilled water (distilled water is preferable to tap water because it does not contain minerals). Apply spray to surface and remove with a microfiber cloth.

Polish Wood with Lemon Juice: Try this recipe if you would rather not take up space with a bottle of wood polish you’ll rarely ever use.

What You Will Need

• One Lemon
• Olive Oil
• Water
• Container with Lid (a mason jar works well)
• Cloth

To start, juice the lemon and and pour the lemon juice into the jar. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of water. Cover the container and shake thoroughly. Apply to wood surface.

Disinfect Naturally: Most of the time bleach is not necessary. It smells bad as well. For your own DIY disinfectant combine 2 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of liquid soap, and 20-30 drops of tea tree oil for an effective natural formula. However, be careful and spot check if you’ll be using this mixture on painted or more sensitive surfaces. Tea tree oil is strong stuff and if not diluted properly it can be damaging.